FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT HIGHER EDUCATION - PAGE 5

The financial crisis and rising costs threaten to put college out of reach for many students, a new report suggests. The report from the group ENLACE Florida says the cost of higher education in Florida has outpaced families' ability to pay. As the recession leaves people with less money, many middle class families in the $40,000 to $60,000 range, who may earn too much for federal Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid, could be especially hurt,...

Laying the groundwork to revamp higher education in Florida, Gov. Rick Scott has questioned the value of liberal arts degrees, dissed anthropologists, proposed ending tenure for professors and posted salaries of all state university employees on the Internet. Scott also recently sent a letter to state university trustee boards pushing for change on campuses. He included excerpts from a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece by Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder, "Time to Make Professors Teach.

By Scott Travis Staff Writer and Josh Hafenbrack of the Tallahassee Bureau contributed to this report, November 21, 2008

State universities would get to raise tuition by as much as 15 percent a year, under a proposal suggested Thursday by Gov. Charlie Crist that he hopes would create a world-class higher education system in Florida. It's a reversal of Crist's initial opposition to tuition hikes. At the end of the spring 2007 legislative session, the governor vetoed a 5 percent tuition increase for all state universities and called a proposal to allow some universities to charge even higher rates "doomed."

The Dan Marino Foundation's plans for a downtown college for the developmentally disabled could give students the real-world experiences they need to make it on their own. For the foundation started by the former Miami Dolphins quarterback in 1992 after his 2-year-old son Michael was diagnosed with autism, the first-of-its-kind college in Florida is a natural next step. The Dan Marino Foundation Florida Vocational College would help those with developmental disabilities move into adulthood.

Our parents tell us how school is extremely important, and if we don't go to college, we will never be successful. And it's true. Realistically, what can we do in life without a college degree to support ourselves? Many teens question the importance of a college education, but attending college provides opportunities not as readily available to those who have not received a higher education. Education is the key to success – it has been proven by many. The professionals we see in our day-to-day lives, such as teachers, doctors and dentists, would not be where they are if not for a college education.

Sun-Sentinel Senior Writer Jon Marcus has won one of two prizes in a national competition for higher education writers and an award from Florida`s union of teaching professionals for best year-round coverage of education. The American Association of University Professors gave Marcus honorable mention for excellence in coverage of higher education during 1989. First place went to the Chicago Sun-Times. Marcus also won a Florida Teaching Professionals-National Education Association Newsmaker Award for best year-round coverage of education, and the Award of Excellence in the print category from the southeastern district of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Boca Raton Those interested in issues related to the cost of higher education can attend a forum Wednesday at Florida Atlantic University. The discussion, hosted by state Sen. Ron Klein, will provide a nonpartisan forum for students and others to discuss topics such as tuition, financial aid and state and federal funding for higher education. The event, which is free and open to the public, will be held at 4:30 p.m. in the Senate Chambers in the University Center on the Boca Raton Campus, 777 Glades Road.

The Southern Regional Education Board, an organization that works to enhance education in 15 Southern states, will conduct its annual meeting today through Saturday at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. Education experts, legislators and several governors are expected to gather to discuss challenges in higher education in a time of budget cuts and growing demands for accountability.

Two years ago, President Obama noted the struggle students face in attempting to pay for higher education. "We can't allow higher education to be a luxury in this country," he said. "It's an economic imperative that every family in America has to be able to afford. " After graduating high school, the choices used to be to continue with higher education or settle for a high school diploma. But these days, with the workforce becoming more competitive, college degrees are a necessity for an applicant's academic belt.

On Oct. 19, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported on page 1 that the "cost of college keeps rising" and will be 5 percent to 7 percent more than in 2004, or about $5,500 per year in public universities and about $21,000 per year in private universities. That's abhorrent. It's not only unfair, it's unwise, unnecessary and unacceptable. Local, state and federal governments must fund our colleges to the extent necessary so that higher education is available to all -- wealthy, middle-class and poor.